User:Rabidwriter

I am a former Mormon from West Jordan, Utah, USA. I was raised primarily in the Salt Lake Valley and went proselitizing as a Mormon missionary in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission (which covers the western third of the state) from February 2001 to April 2003. I deconverted from Mormonism around 2004, and am now a strong athiest. My goal is to make others' deconversion less emotionally wrenching, and possibly to save lives. I believe my own life was in danger for a time, as I dealt with the erosion of my self-esteem and indoctrination of impossible standards that the Mormon culture and dogma create in anyone who embraces them deeply enough.

Before my deconversion, I was captivated by Mormon lore and dogma. And it continues to fascinate me, even as I dedicate myself to dissecting and exposing it for the blatant deception that it is. It's a fantastical world view, with angels, gods, magic seer stones, gold plates, visions and even theories about relativistic time flows on other planets. My penchant for science fiction and fantasy literature probably stems from the same, imaginative impluses. In that way, I probably have much in common with Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and a fantastic story teller. Unfortunately, he didn't turn his storytelling to better use, and instead lead one of the greatest and longest-standing cons in American history. A study of the roots of Mormonism is a study in the roots of superstition and religion itself.

My goals for Iron Chariots

I discovered Iron Chariots through the Atiest Experience, a public access television sponsored by the Athiest Community of Austin. I'm primarily interested in updating and documenting pages related to Mormonism. My plan is to make connections between themes in Mormonism with Christian themes in general, as well as address Mormon apologists.

Mainstream Mormonism, in my opinion, varies very little from fundamentalist Christianity in the U.S. and contains a similar spectrum from liberal to fundamentalist believers. It's claims contain the same theistic weaknesses, and it's history is very well documented because of the religion's newness. The good thing about his is that anyone who takes even a cursory look at the history of Mormonism, and the facts about Joseph Smith, will have a hard time maintaining the position that Mormonism is anything more than an elaborate con.

The Truth is innevitable. You can stand on it's shoulders or trampled under it's boots. Thanks for adding to this labor of love. And thank you for caring about the Truth. Speak up and stay visible. In my opinion, it's our species only chance at escaping the cycle of ignorance and violence. Good luck.